nicthicfandomcom-20200214-history
Top Cat (film)
Top Cat is a 2017 American computer-animated action comedy-drama film based on the Top Cat series created by Hanna-Barbera. The film is directed by D.A. Nichols and Abbey Thickson and written by James Sharp. Jason Harris Katz, Chris Edgerly, Benjamin Diskin, Matthew Piazzi, and Bill Lobley reprised their respective roles as Top Cat, Benny, Spook, Fancy-Fancy, and Officer Dibble. They are joined by Nolan North and Jess Harnell who voice Choo Choo and Brain respectively. Production for the film began in November 2015, with D.A. Nichols and Abbey Thickson announcing that they wanted to create an American adapted Top Cat film that would "transcend generations". The film features an all-star voice cast, and an original song performed by Blake Shelton. The film is dedicated to the original voices from the original cartoon, Maurice Gosfield, Allen Jenkins, Marvin Kaplan, Arnold Stang, and John Stephenson. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on December 15, 2017 and was theatrically released in the United States on December 22, 2017. The film has received mixed to positive reviews from critics, who considered it as an improvement over the 2011 animated Mexican film adaptation and its 2015 computer-animated prequel as well as praising its story, humor, animation, character design, character development, and voice acting, but criticizing its dark tone, overused crude jokes, and weak villains. A sequel was announced on July 13, 2017, and is scheduled for release on December 20, 2019. Plot In the alley in New York City, Top Cat (Jason Harris Katz) begins his morning with his gang, consisting of Benny the Ball (Chris Edgerly), Choo-Choo (Nolan North), Brain (Jess Harnell), Fancy-Fancy (Matthew Piazzi), and Spook (Benjamin Diskin), by heading down to the casino, disgusing themselves as humans. They were able to attract some guards, who then let them in. After a montage of them playing games, Brain suggests that they stay at an inn so that they would feel more comfortable, to which Top Cat agrees. After getting their room, they decide to look around and have fun in their new room. The next morning, Top Cat suggests that they go out and catch the sights around New York. During this, they suddenly get caught by ushers after going into the Apollo Theater. So they decided to walk across the walkway on the Brooklyn Bridge and back across. Meanwhile, a red dog, named Bottom Dog (Kenan Thompson) goes into Heather's Diner and gets what he wants to eat after going through a scuffle with the cashier. As he walks out, he is joined by his two nephews, Scorn (Tom Kenny) and Scuffle (Maurice LaMarche). As they got into the car, Bottom Dog explains to his nephews that he is looking for Top Cat and his gang. The two reluctantly agree to help him capture him and his gang. Back with Top Cat and his gang, they start to feel hungry and they head down to the drive-thru to get something. After getting their order, they are spotted by Bottom Dog, which leads to Top Cat driving away fast to evade from them, eventually going to a hiding spot. After that Bottom Dog realizes that they lost visual from them and he drives his nephews back to his house. As Top Cat slowly pulled away from the hiding spot, he and his gang drive safely back to the inn, and they got in bed and went to sleep afterwards. The next morning, Top Cat tells his gang that he has decided to go to Coney Island to have fun there. The six then drive down to Coney Island, where they go on rides such as the Cyclone, the Steeplechase, and the Thunderbolt. While playing the games, they notice two twin cats fighting over their toys, and Choo-Choo decides to break up the fight and get them more toys for the both of them. The cats then introduce themselves and the two twin cats names are Cale (Tim Heidecker) and Lale (Eric Wareheim). Fancy-Fancy then notices a cat singing on stage and they go and check it out. The cat is revealed to be Kitty Sparkles (Miranda Cosgrove), the best pop star singer in the alley and all of New York. Choo-Choo points out that he is the biggest fan of Kitty Sparkles, and they sign her autograph. After that, Kitty Sparkles gets a call from her agent on the phone telling her that she has to go to the recording studio to finish working on her single. Meanwhile with Bottom Dog, Scorn and Scuffle were getting stuff for him until they were alerted by their parents, Steven (Stephen Stanton) and Serena (Jane Wiedlin). They ask what their sons are up to, to which Scorn and Scuffle respond that they're just going to see their uncle. They took the stuff and got back in the car. Bottom Dog then says that he needs two more people to help him, to which Scorn and Scuffle suggest Bad Dog (Diedrich Bader) and Pantera (Marieve Herington), Mr. Big's former henchmen from Top Cat Begins. While driving down to Dog Jail to get them out, they pass by the old house where Top Cat's family used to live. Scorn is suddenly hit in the face by a newspaper thrown by a local paperboy, whereupon they notice a picture of Trixie (Melissa Disney), Top Cat's love interest on it, and they also found an address to where Top Cat's family was at right now. Bottom Dog and his nephews then continued down to Dog Jail. Back with Top Cat and his gang, Top Cat was driving down somewhere, in which Choo-Choo asks Top Cat where they're going, in which Top Cat responds that they're going to the Starlight Night Club, the same place where he, Choo-Choo, Brain, and Fancy-Fancy went at the beginning of Top Cat Begins. As they walked in, they went to the place where a dance party was being held, and they began to dance along to the song. After that, the Maitre C was looking for some performers to perform some songs on stage. Top Cat goes up first, and he tap dances to the song "Saturday Night" by the Bay City Rollers. Second, Choo-Choo goes up next and he sings "Dragostea Din Tei" by O-Zone. Third, Spook comes on stage and he dances and sings "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" by Wham!. Top Cat and his gang are amazed by Spook's dance moves. After that, Top Cat and his gang are encountered by Trixie, who is also amazed by Spook's performance. Fourth, Fancy-Fancy goes on stage and performs two songs by Rick Astley, "Never Gonna Give You Up" and "Together Forever". Top Cat's family finally becomes aware that he is being spotted and they go down to New York to find him. Bottom Dog bails Mr. Big's former henchmen, Bad Dog and Pantera, out of prison. He sends them in his car to get J.B. and Matilda's children, Myra and Gold Pelt. They succeed after dealing with Officer Dibble, and they take them to Jazz and Beau. When Bottom Dog requests he be made a artwork from their fur, Jazz angrily refuses, not wanting them to be harmed, with Beau adding that they are good cats. Angered, he has them bound and gagged and returns to his original plan to make cat fur coats. Myra and Gold Pelt, along with the other cats use a signal that Myra had in her pocket earlier to send a distress signal, which is picked up by Top Cat and his gang, along with Trixie, and they set out to save the cats. Along the way, Top Cat gets a call from Officer Dibble saying that he got put into a well by Bad Dog and Pantera. As they enter the warehouse, they frighten Bad Dog and Pantera, but Bottom Dog knocks Trixie unconscious and she and Top Cat are captured and thrown into the cage, while his gang is thrown into a closet. Brain then begins to unlock the closet door using a key he had earlier which fit perfectly. They find Top Cat in despair, but his gang cheer him up by reminding that he has done a lot of great things in the past. Top Cat breaks out and releases the rest of the cats. They escape through the building's roof, while having the villains stalled on where they are, with Trixie freeing Jazz and Beau. The other cats leave and Top Cat and his gang get into their car and drive off, but Bottom Dog, Scorn, Scuffle, Bad Dog, and Pantera discover the escape and pursue them in Bottom Dog's SUV, a chase ensues through the streets of New York, crashing through Central Park in the process. Bottom Dog and his henchmen finally corner the cats in the alley. Top Cat and his gang try to hold them off, but they are undaunted. Trixie arrives on the scene, having been driven by Jazz and Beau. Trixie then fakes a heart attack after Pantera swung a tire iron to bash her head with. This causes Bottom Dog, in his distraction, to knock out Bad Dog and Pantera and fall into a trash can. Top Cat and his gang then retreat back to their car, putting it in reverse, sending Bottom Dog, Scorn, Scuffle, Bad Dog, and Pantera scrambling into the East River. The NYPD then arrest Bad Dog and Pantera, and Bottom Dog is taken to Dog Jail, and then to a mental institute for his cat obsession, and Scorn and Scuffle are punished by their parents for what they did with Bottom Dog. Top Cat's family and Officer Dibble, who were told by Bad Dog and Pantera it was Bottom Dog who made them do it, arrive. They thank him and his gang. In result, Top Cat is given a $500,000 reward for capturing Bottom Dog. In the finale of the film, Kitty Sparkles walks on stage at the Starlight Night Club and performs the song "Rainbow" in front of everyone. During this, Top Cat and Trixie enter a relationship and in the final scene, they kiss on stage. In a mid-credits scene, it is revealed that Pantera is looking for Fancy-Fancy in the inn (unaware that he isn't there), saying that she knows she's been a bad girl, but Fancy-Fancy would be crazy not to take her back. But instead of Fancy-Fancy, it's really Cale and Lale, the twin cats that Top Cat and his gang met at Coney Island, waiting for her and they shout, "Did someone say CRAZY?!", as they shut off the lights as the credits roll. In a post-credits scene, Scorn and Scuffle are dragged by their parents outside to the front yard and are thrown into a dumpster as punishment. Voice Cast * Jason Harris Katz as Top Cat, the indisputable leader of the Alley Gang and the main protagonist * Chris Edgerly as Benny the Ball, Top Cat's right-hand man. * Nolan North as Choo-Choo, a pink cat who is also a skilled poker player. He is also considered to be the biggest fan of Kitty Sparkles. * Jess Harnell as Brain, the dim-wittest member of the Alley Gang. * Matthew Piazzi as Fancy-Fancy, the common helper of the Alley Gang and most commonly chats with girls. * Benjamin Diskin as Spook, the streetwise member of the Alley Gang. * Melissa Disney as Trixie, Top Cat's love interest from Top Cat: The Movie. * Kenan Thompson as Bottom Dog, the main antagonist of the film and Top Cat's rival and arch-nemesis. * Bill Lobley as Officer Charlie Dibble, a NYPD officer who keeps an eye on the alley. * Diedrich Bader as Bad Dog, Top Cat's bully. He previously worked for Mr. Big in Top Cat Begins. * Marieve Herington as Pantera, Bottom Dog's henchwoman. She previously worked for Mr. Big, and was one of Fancy-Fancy's romances in Top Cat Begins. * Wil Heuser as Robby, Cale and Lale's father. * Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim as Cale and Lale, two twin cats who commonly fight over which toy is theirs. * Brian McFadden as Jazz * Kellen Goff as J.B., Top Cat's father. * Cheri Oteri as Matilda, Top Cat's mother. * Aria Curzon as Myra, Top Cat's sister. * Matthew Lintz as Gold Pelt (G.P.), Top Cat's younger brother. * Miranda Cosgrove as Kitty Sparkles, a pop singer. * Kari Wahlgren as Curly * Candi Milo as Rusty * Julie Craig as Fifi * Tara Strong as Sassy * Mae Whitman as Ribbon * Emily Blunt as Shirley * Kristen Schaal as Julie * Kasha Kropinski as Blondie * Jennifer Hale as Scarlet * Uzo Aduba as Honey * Rachel Wilson as Auburn * Kristin Fairlie as Copper * Tom Kenny and Maurice LaMarche as Scorn and Scuffle, Bottom Dog's nephews and assistants. * Stephen Stanton as Steven, Scorn and Scuffle's father. * Jane Wiedlin as Serena, Scorn and Scuffle's mother. Additional voices * Ava Acres * Lori Alan * Ashley Albert * Carlos Alazraqui * Dee Bradley Baker * Jeff Bennett * Bob Bergen * Aimée Castle * Jim Conroy * Julie Craig * Jim Cummings * Grey DeLisle * John DiMaggio * Keith Ferguson * Daniel Flaherty * Nika Futterman * Sondra James * Tara Jayne * Bob Kaliban * Alexa Kahn * Tom Kane * Vanessa Lemonides * Beth Littleford * Yuri Lowenthal * Tress MacNeille * Jason Marsden * Mona Marshall * Ron McClary * Bryce Papenbrook * Brian McFadden * Mickie McGowan * Laraine Newman * Nicole Parker * Rob Paulsen * Chris Phillips * Cristina Pucelli * Jan Rabson * Jamie Marchi * Peter Pamela Rose * Tara Strong * Cree Summer * Fred Tatasciore * Matthew W. Taylor * Lauren Tom * Tashiana Washington * Audrey Wasilewski * Frank Welker * Scott Whyte * Debra Wilson * April Winchell * Ariel Winter Production In October 2015, NicThic Productions announced plans of producing an American adaptation of the two Top Cat films, Top Cat: The Movie and Top Cat Begins, both produced in Mexico by its animation studio, Anima Estudios. D.A. Nichols and Abbey Thickson stated that they wanted to make the film that would "transcend generations". The following month, NicThic announced that they had begun pre-production on Top Cat. D.A. Nichols and Abbey Thickson are directing the film, with James Sharp writing the screenplay. On November 5, 2015, Jason Harris Katz announced that he will be reprising his role as Top Cat. The following month, it was confirmed that Chris Edgerly, Matthew Piazzi, Benjamin Diskin, and Bill Lobley would be returning as well. On December 7, 2015, Harris confirmed that he would not voice Choo-Choo and Brain, because he wanted to stick with voicing Top Cat. It was later announced that Nolan North and Jess Harnell were cast to voice Choo Choo and Brain, respectively. Following the financial failure of Top Cat Begins, Anima Estudios announced that Discreet Art Productions had sold the CGI designs of the characters to Warner Animation Group and Sony Pictures Imageworks. In January 2016, Abbey Thickson confirmed that Mark Mothersbaugh will be composing the score. In April 2016, it was announced that the film would include what the interior of Top Cat's trash can looks like. Then in May 2016, D.A. Nichols stated that the film would include Top Cat's family. The same month, it was confirmed that Kellen Goff, Cheri Oteri, Aria Curzon, and Matthew Lintz were cast to voice Top Cat's family members, J.B., Matilda, Myra, and Gold Pelt, respectively. In June 2016 at the CinemaCon, Nichols and Thickson said the film would have Top Cat meeting his new rival, Bottom Dog. It was later announced that Wil Heuser, a former Big Brother houseguest and YouTube video personality, had joined the cast to voice a new character. In August 2016, it was confirmed that Jordan Kerner was brought in to produce the film. In September 2016, Thickson stated that they had begun animation on the film. On January 5, 2017, it was confirmed that Melissa Disney was returning to voice Trixie from the first film. In March 2017, it was confirmed that Kari Wahlgren, Candi Milo, Julie Craig, Tara Strong, Mae Whitman, Emily Blunt, Kristen Schaal, Kasha Kropinski, Jennifer Hale, Uzo Aduba, Rachel Wilson, and Kristin Fairlie have joined the cast. On May 2, 2017, Mothersbaugh confirmed that he had started working on the film's score. On June 12, 2017, Kenan Thompson was cast to voice Bottom Dog, the film's antagonist and Top Cat's rival. Tom Kenny and Maurice LaMarche were also cast to voice Scorn and Scuffle, Bottom Dog's henchmen. On June 13, 2017, Stephen Stanton and Jane Wiedlin joined the cast to voice Scorn and Scuffle's parents, Steven and Serena. On June 15, 2017, it was confirmed that RatPac-Dune Entertainment has signed on to produce the film. On July 3, 2017, Marieve Herington announced that she will reprise her role as Pantera from the previous film. Diedrich Bader also confirmed his character Bad Dog will return as well. On August 8, 2017, it was confirmed that comedy duo Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim have joined the cast to voice new characters. On August 13, 2017, new details were announced; it was confirmed that Heuser's character's name was revealed to be Robby, and Heidecker and Wareheim's characters will be Cale and Lale. On October 12, 2017, Miranda Cosgrove announced that she was joining the cast to voice pop singer Kitty Sparkles. Cosgrove later announced that she was contributing to a cover version of Sia Furler's "Rainbow". Animation The CG imagery and animation was handled by Sony Pictures Imageworks, who also did the animation for Storks. SPI used the models used from Top Cat Begins, which were made by Discreet Art Productions. Marketing Trailers The film's teaser trailer was released on February 24, 2017, and was attached to theatrical showings of Rock Dog. Six teaser trailers featuring each member of the Alley Gang were released online at NicThic's YouTube page on March 7, 2017. The official first theatrical trailer was released online at NicThic's YouTube page on June 4, 2017 and was shown on films such as Cars 3, Despicable Me 3, Gabriel Garza 3, The Emoji Movie, The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature. A second trailer was shown on October 6, 2017 and was attached to theatrical showings of My Little Pony: The Movie. A third trailer was released on November 22, 2017 with Disney/Pixar's Coco. TV spots aired the following month. Merchandise Conciding with the film's release, McDonald's produced nine toys in their Happy Meals. Scholastic released four books for the film, ''Top Cat: The Junior Novel'', Games A video game based on the film, titled ''Top Cat: The Video Game'''' was released on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PC, Mac, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, and Xbox One on December 19, 2017 in North America. Rating Top Cat is rated PG by the MPAA. The film was originally going to be rated G, but in August 5, 2017, the rating was changed to PG because Warner Animation Group, the company that is producing the film, never produces G-rated films at all, since every one of its feature-length films is rated PG by the MPAA, due to the rating system being more strict. Release On April 7, 2016, NicThic Productions set the release date to June 16, 2017, but in March 2017, the release date was pushed to December 22, 2017, to avoid competition with ''Cars 3, also scheduled for release on that day. Top Cat ''premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on December 15, 2017 and was screened at VidCon. The film got an early release in the United Kingdom on December 8, 2017, and was theatrically released in the United States on December 22, 2017 in 3D, 2D, and selected IMAX theaters. The film had a special screening at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California on November 24, 2017. Home media ''Top Cat will be released on Digital HD on March 6, 2018 and on DVD, Blu-ray, and Blu-ray 3D on March 20, 2018 by Warner Home Video. Special features include deleted scenes, the music video of "Rainbow", as well as the shorts The Top Cat Zone ''and ''T.C.'s Guide to New York, and the television special ''A Top Cat Christmas''. Reception Critical response On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 81%, based on 97 reviews, with an average rating of 8.8/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Top Cat brings us amazing animation and loads of humor, which make it another introduction to the Top Cat series." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 65 out of 100, based on 33 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an "A+" to F scale. Box office In the United States, Top Cat was released alongside Pitch Perfect 3, Downsizing, Father Figures, and The Post, and is expected to gross $9-15 million from 2,750 theaters during its opening weekend. It made $77.6 on its first day, including $17.5 from Thursday night previews. Sequel On July 13, 2017, during the film's production, Abbey Thickson announced that a sequel has been planned, with her and D.A. Nichols returning to direct, and the screenplay being written by Peter Ackerman and Xeth Feinberg. D.A. Nichols also stated that the film would include animation and live-action combined, similar to the 2003 film, Looney Tunes: Back in Action. Logan Paul and Peyton List were cast as the lead live-action characters, with Harris, Edgerly, North, Harnell, Piazzi, and Diskin reprising their roles as their respective characters. The sequel's release date was confirmed to be December 20, 2019. Gallery See Top Cat (film)/Gallery Category:Films Category:NicThic Wiki Category:Vhs